From the sand dunes and stone of Death Valley National Park to the banks of the Colorado River waters tamed by Hoover Dam, walk, hike, and float through some of the most remarkable landscapes in the U.S. With our instructor, discover the forces at work in these starkly contrasting environments.

Highlights

• Discover Death Valley — one of the most unique and hottest places on earth — and visit the lowest point in the western hemisphere, 282 feet below sea level, near Badwater.• Hike through the Valley of Fire among vivid 3,000-year-old petroglyphs.• Enjoy a float trip on the Colorado River through the sheer cliffs and multicolored rocks of Black Canyon.

Activity Particulars

Hiking up to two miles over varied terrain. Slower pace and less walking on "Moderate" weeks.

Date Specific Information

2-17-2014, 10-20-2015, 1-20-2016, 2-17-2016

Enjoy the latest in hearing technology — listening devices — on this date.

Itinerary Summary

Coordinated by Dixie State University.

Death Valley National Park

Death Valley, a place of unexpected contrasts, is also one of subtle beauty. From the blush of dawn's light across its badlands to the awe-inspiring red-gold sunsets and the riot of color from spring wildflowers, this great national park covering over 3.3 million miles offers fascinating history and nature's splendor in large servings.

Las Vegas (Nevada)

Located in the Mojave Desert, Las Vegas is one of the fastest growing cities in the country. Between the world-class entertainment and gambling on “The Strip” and the region’s amazing natural resources including beautiful Red Rock Canyon it is clear why people love this desert community.

Accommodations
Las Vegas: Non-casino hotel a few blocks from the strip with free shuttle to and from airport. Death Valley: Furnace Creek Ranch situated in a lush oasis.

Meals and Lodgings

Alexis Park Resort

Las Vegas, NV

2 nights

Furnace Creek Ranch

Death Valley National Park

2 nights

Alexis Park Resort

Las Vegas, NV

2 nights

Alexis Park Resort

Type:

Hotel

Description:

Welcome to the Alexis Park All Suite Resort, one of the most exciting resorts in Las Vegas. The Alexis Park All Suite Resort is the premiere all-suite, non-gaming resort in Las Vegas. Unrivaled in its Las Vegas Strip proximity (directly across the street from the Hard Rock Hotel) the Alexis Park All Suite Resort features all the hotel amenities along with casual boutique hotel services. From the moment you arrive at this oasis in the sun, you will experience all that makes Alexis Park All Suite Resort a special place to stay. Here, you’ll love strolling through the lush courtyard gardens surrounded by winding pathways that lead you to three sparkling pools. The Alexis Park All Suite Resort offers one-on-one personalized service, the privacy and convenience of a tropical oasis with immediate easy access to all that Las Vegas has to offer.

The Alexis Park All Suite Resort was the first non-gaming resort property in Las Vegas. With a long history of boutique experiences and guests, the hotel has been providing quality hotel service and hosting events in Las Vegas for several decades. Guests may stroll beautifully landscaped gardens to access a variety of relaxing and stylish choices in accommodations. Boasting 10 uniquely different floor plans and guest amenities to suit a variety of hotel stays, our guests can count on a comfortable and memorable Alexis Park Hotel experience. All of our Las Vegas hotel rooms are two room suites providing guests with spacious accommodations and privacy along with amenities for both Extended Stays and Last minute Getaways alike.
All Hotel Suites at the Alexis Park Las Vegas include:
Two Telephone Lines
Wet Bar
Refrigerator
32" Flat Screen with Pay Per View Movies
WIFI Availability for a fee
Exercise Room
Laundry and Dry Cleaning Service Available
All Guests of Alexis Park have access to Room Service, Guest Services, Free Safe Deposit Boxes and Business Center Services

$90.00 for dbl, $65 for single Based on availability, participants can book 3 days prior to program start date and/or 3 days after program end date at contracted suite price of $90 per night double occupancy or $65 per night single occupancy.

Check in time:

3:00 PM

Additional nights after:

$90.00 for dbl, $65 for single Based on availability, participants can book 3 days prior to program start date and/or 3 days after program end date at contracted suite price of $90 per night double occupancy or $65 per night single occupancy.

Check out time:

11:00 AM

Furnace Creek Ranch

Type:

Inn

Description:

The Furnace Creek Ranch is family oriented 224 room facility situated in a lush oasis surrounded by the vast and arid desert of Death Valley National Park, California - just 120 miles northwest of Las Vegas, Nevada and 275 miles northeast of Los Angeles, California. This resort presents a complete contrast to the desolate desert landscape and consists of an oasis 18-hole golf course (the world's lowest course at 214 feet below sea level), four restaurants, a saloon, a cocktail lounge, retail outlets, a Borax Museum, spring-fed swimming pools, tennis courts, horseback riding, horse-drawn carriage rides, massage therapy, a 3,000 foot airstrip, a service station and conference and banquet facilities for 10 - 120. (Some services are available only on a seasonal basis.)
Furnace Creek Ranch Resort is the perfect vantage point from which to explore Death Valley National Park!

From Alexis Park Resort

To Airport

Service:

Hotel ShuttleAlexis Park Resort Shuttlephone: 702-796-3300

Per Person/One Way:

ComplementaryPrices are subject to change.

Travel Time:

10-15 minutes

Distance:

2.5 miles

The Alexis Park Hotel Shuttle departs every hour on the hour from 7:00 am to 9:00 pm. Please check with the front desk to set up your airport shuttle.

Driving
Directions

The Alexis Park All Suite Resort is easy to find:

From Southern California - Take Interstate 15 from the California State border into Las Vegas and exit onto E. Tropicana, turn left on Koval and right onto E. Harmon Avenue. The Alexis Park All Suite Resort will be on the right side.
From Southern Utah (St. George) - Take Interstate 15 South into Las Vegas and exit onto E. Flamingo Road, turn right on Koval and proceed to E. Harmon Avenue. Turn left onto E. Harmon Avenue and the Alexis Park All Suite Resort will be on the right side.
From Northern Nevada (Tonapah) - Take Highway 95 South into Las Vegas and proceed to Interstate 15 South to Exit 39 on E. Flamingo Road. Right onto Koval and proceed to E. Harmon Avenue, turn left onto E. Harmon Avenue and the Alexis Park All Suite Resort will be on the right side.
From Northern Arizona (Kingman via Boulder City, NV) - Take Highway 93 North through Boulder City, NV and into Las Vegas. Take Highway 215 West to Highway 15 North. Exit E. Tropicana and turn left onto Koval and proceed to E. Harmon Avenue. Turn right on E. Harmon Avenue and Alexis Park All Suite Resort will be on right side.
From Las Vegas Airport - Exit Airport traveling north on Paradise Road. Travel one mile on Paradise and turn left on E. Harmon Avenue Alexis Park All Suite Resort will be on left side.

Elevation Note: We travel from 2200 ft in Las Vegas to over 5500 ft. We walk/hike to see the natural beauty.

Equipment Requirements: There is not any special equipment required for this program but we suggest broken-in walking shoes/hiking boots with good tread and a hiking pole if available.

The prices listed for commercial services and facilities that are not included in the program cost, such as airport shuttles or extra nights lodging, are subject to change without notice. Since Road Scholar cannot guarantee the accuracy of these prices, we strongly suggest contacting the companies directly for the most up-to-date information.

Daily Schedule

Day 1:

Arrive, check in and welcome(Monday, February 17)

Afternoon:

3:00-4:00
Arrive and check-in at the Hotel.
4:00
Welcome and introductions in the meeting room.

Travel with your geologist to the Valley of Fire.
Explore the unique formations and view fascinating petroglyphs, including Mouse's Tank, officially known as Petroglyph Canyon. It is located in a rather unique position between two canyons of different elevations. Thus one side faces a sheer cliff of about 50 feet and the other side is a half mile long box canyon. It is named 'The Mouse's Tank' because an alleged Southern Paiute Indian renegade named 'Little Mouse' hid out there in the 1890's.

Lunch:

Box Lunch on the Trail.

Afternoon:

Enjoy the brilliant landscape with the geologist on short hikes/walks to include White Dome.
Learn about Death Valley Geology on the bus trip back to the hotel.

8:15 am check out and depart for Death Valley National Park. We'll first explore Badwater Basin, noted as the lowest point in North America with an elevation of 282 feet below sea level. Next up is a short hike up a side canyon ravine through crumbling greyish rocks and a short narrow section to Death Valley's own Natural Bridge.

Lunch:

Box Lunch on the Trail.

Afternoon:

Learn about the fascinating human history, 20-mule teams, Borax Works and visit the Borax Museum.
View a spectacular sunset, then return to hotel.

Check out 8:00 am - Depart and travel to Death Valley National Park. Hike Willow Canyon a beautiful 2 mile round trip hike up an alluvial fan and through a deep narrow canyon. The rock here is well polished with pretty bands of white, red, green, and gray.

8:15 am - Depart for Hoover Dam & Black Canyon. Embark on the Black Canyon Raft Tour which departs from a restricted-access vantage point exclusive to Black Canyon raft tours. From here board a raft for a trip downstream, through spectacular and historic Black Canyon with a beach stop for lunch before arriving at Willow Beach Marina - on the northern reaches of Lake Mohave.

Lunch:

Lunch on the shores of the Colorado river.

Afternoon:

Following lunch continue the float trip. After float trip visit the Hoover Dam visitor center to learn more about this engineering marvel.
Return to hotel

Free Time Opportunities

Las Vegas, NV

LasVegas.com**PLEASE NOTE: There is very little free time during this program. The free time options found on this website are helpful if you plan to spend additional time before or after the program. For additional information, visit www.lasvegas.com

Important information about your itinerary: Every effort has been made to ensure the accuracy and completeness of the information featured on this website. Itineraries are based on our best information at this time. Circumstances beyond our control may require us to adjust itineraries or other details. We regret any inconvenience this may cause and appreciate your understanding. Information will be sent to you from your Program Provider approximately three weeks prior to the program start date. The prices listed for commercial services and facilities that are not included in the program cost, such as airport shuttles or extra nights lodging, are subject to change without notice. Since Road Scholar cannot guarantee the accuracy of these prices, we strongly suggest contacting the companies directly for the most up-to-date information.

Suggested Reading List

A Trip Through Death Valley's Geologic Past

Author: Kenneth E. Lengner

Description: This is a chronological trip through the geological history of the Death Valley region. It departs from the typical geological history by anchoring the text to a series of rock samples, dating from an estimated 2.5 billion years old to the present. Numerous photographs of rock samples and historical photos are used to delve into the past. An enlightening and entertaining trip through Death Valley's geological past for geology enthusiasts.

An Introduction To The Geology Of Death Valley

Author: Michael Collier

Description: Captures the drama of the processes that are constantly changing Death Valley's landscape. Michael Collier creatively weaves an account of Death Valley's one-hundred-and-fifty-year mining history into the one-and-a-half-billion-year geologic history of the valley. Through his writing and his perceptive observations of a slowly evolving landscape, there emerges a fresh perspective on Death Valley.

Death Valley A Scenic Wonderland

Author: Steven L. Walker, Dorothy K. Hilburn

Description: A brief history of early inhabitants, fourty-niners, geography, geology, flora, fauna, miners, Scotty's Castle and the National Park. Beautiful photographs highlight the geological, geographical and historical history of Death Valley.

Death Valley: Images of America

Author: Robert P. Palazzo

Description: Robert P. Palazzo, Death Valley scholar, evokes here in vintage imagery a stark, barren, desolate wasteland that gradually became one of the West's most iconic destinations. This book includes an extensive collection of rare photographs that shows Death Valley's geological features, notable personalities, industries, mysteries and tourism. This book is a rare visual record of Death Valley.

Deserts, National Audubon Society Nature Guide

Author: James A. MacMahon

Description: A comprehensive field guide, fully illustrated with color photographs, to the wildflowers, birds, reptiles, insects and other natural wonders of North America's deserts.

Geology Underfoot In Death Valley and Owens Valley

Author: Robert P. Sharp and Allen F. Glazner

Description: Thirty driving and walking tours weave the tale of a geological feature in the land of extremes in Eastern California. Some chapters spotlight the earth-sculpturing role of volcanoes and earthquakes: lava columns and fault scarps. Others focus on powerful geological processes that shatter boulders by salt crystals and smooth rocks that have been blasted by windblown sand.

Geology of Death Valley National Park, Second Edition

Author: Marli B. Miller, Lauren A. Wright

Description: This book will help you to get to know Death Valley National Park in a unique way through amazing photographs and detailed descriptions of its world class geology. Includes six different road guides for your tour of Death Valley. Detailed geology is highlighted. Geologists and non-geologists alike will be impressed by the incredible variety of geologic features and the fascinating history behind the landscape we know today as Death Valley.

Mojave Desert Wildflowers

Author: Jon Mark Stewart

Description: A field guide to high desert wildflowers of California, Nevada and Arizona. The beautiful photographs glorify the diversity of desert plant life in the Mojave desert. The guide is designed to be used easily by the wildflower novice, and accurate enough for the seasoned botanist. Chapters are arranged by flower colors. This allows plants that are similar in color and appearance to be grouped together, easing identification.

Wildflowers Of The Desert Southwest

Author: Meg Quinn

Description: Field guide to 80 of the most common flowers of the Chihuahuan, Mojave and Sonoran deserts.

You can't find a better value than Road Scholar.

As a not-for-profit organization, we are dedicated to providing all-inclusive educational programs at great value. From lectures to gratuities to field trips to accommodations - the tuition you pay up front is all that you pay.

Specifically, this program includes:

6 nights accommodations

15 meals:
6 breakfasts, 5 lunches, 4 dinners

Expert-led lectures: 5

Expert-led lectures

Led by one or more of our world-class instructors, typically in a classroom setting, lectures come in the form of presentations, discussions or workshops and offer expert insight into your area of study.

Field trips: 7

Field trips

The world is your classroom, as you're on location with an instructor to pursue your educational theme firsthand.

Plus these special experiences...

Enjoy the popular Scotty's Castle and Ubehebe Crater. Hike through spectacular desert scenery and learn about the complex geology.

Discover Death Valley one of the hottest places on earth, visit the lowest point in the western hemisphere 282 feet below sea level near Badwater.

Learn about the Mojave Desert ecology with its unique plants and animals that make their home in this harsh and desolate environment.

Raft down the Colorado River as it twists and turns through 12 miles of Black Canyon, surrounded by majestic 2000-foot rocky walls.

View the Daily Schedule to see more

And included with all Road Scholar programs:

Learning led by expert instructors who are authorities in the field of study.

An experienced Group Leader attuned to the needs of Road Scholar participants.

Customary gratuities throughout the program that you would normally pay yourself.